Finals week, also known as dead week, is definitely one of the hardest, most stressful weeks of the semester. It’s the week that everyone dreads but at the same time it’s the week people look forward to because that only means vacation is right around the corner. During dead week, people do all sorts of things to get through the week. I asked students at Sonoma State what they did to get through finals week and these were some of the most common things done.
1) Cry
Finals week can be emotionally draining, and because of all the stress it’s not uncommon to cry. If you ever feel like you can’t make it through the week, here is something my therapist showed me to calm down and regather my thoughts. Smell the roses, blow through the straw. Take a deep breath in, and exhale using your mouth. Sounds silly, but trust me it works!
2) Stress Eat
Many people turn to food for comfort when they are feeling the pressure of finals week. It’s not necessarily a bad thing. I mean come on, we all love food. But instead of aiming for the chips and cookies, try grabbing some fruit or some granola. Not only will it fill you up, but it’s healthy as well!
3) Drink Coffee
Cups after cups after cups, coffee is everyone’s go-to when it comes to staying awake to be able to bust all nighters. It helps wake you up and for some people it even helps them concentrate. Some other alternatives for when you want natural caffeine to wake you up are green tea and chocolate. Green tea is great ecause you can have it either hot or cold and chocolate is just great in general.
4) Don’t Overpay For Coffee
When you’re buying coffee once or twice a day, it can really add up. So instead, try brewing your own coffee at home. It can save you money and also it makes your kitchen smell like a coffee shop.
5) Do Something Productive That’s Not Studying
This one is actually a lot more common than I thought. Many people have the habit of doing things like cleaning their room or doing laundry instead of studying to feel productive. Having a clean environment is great for studying, but cleaning and doing other things that aren’t studying leads to procrastination.
6) Procrastinate
We all say we aren’t going to wait last minute to start studying to finish a paper or project. We say it every time but somehow, we always end up procrastinating. One thing that has helped me stay on track this semester is writing down exactly what I have to do for every class. That way I can see what I still have to do, and I can check off what I don’t need to worry about anymore.
7) Question Your Major
What ever your major is, when it starts to get more difficult many people question if that is something they actually want to study. I am a computer science major, and there have been times where I think about changing to a major that is less difficult just so I don’t have to deal with the stress of it. If this happens to you,just remember it will all be worth it in the end! And what ever your dream job is, keep in mind you are on the road there!
8) Take Naps When Possible
I try to get in as many naps as I can so that I feel more awake when studying. But be careful your 30 minute power nap doesn’t turn into a 3 hour nap. It has happened to me more than it should.